Cigarette package



Jan. 16,y 1934. R. BLUM 1,943,810

V CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed March V$1, 1931 "'Mlllllllllllllll lmlllmmllmlllll A TTORNEY BY Z,

Patented Jan. 16, 1934 CIGARETTE PACKAGE Richard Blum, Berlin, Germany Application March 31, 1931. Serial No. 526,648

8 Claims.

My invention relates to cigarette packages, and particularly to cigarette packages provided with an external transparent casing or covering of cellulosic or other material.

It is the object of the present invention so to construct a package of the above-indicated type, that with a single operation both the outer, transparent casing andthe inner wrapper of the package are opened, and the revenue stamp simultaneously torn or broken.

Cigarette packages with an external transparent casing are at the present time so constructed that the revenue stamp extends across the top of the inner ywrapper over the top iiap of such wrapper, the stamp being pasted to the top iiap and to the sides of the wrapper so as to hold the latter closed. The top portion of the transparent casing is folded down over the top of theinner wrapper and is held in place with the aid of an adhesive. The central portion of the top flap of the outer casing is not pasted `down but extends beyond the edge of the package so as to provide a tab designed to be grasped by the lingers preparatory to open thepackage. To open a package of this known type, the tab is pulled upwardly to open the top of the outer casing; the lower liap is then pulled forwardly and upwardly, after which the inner package is slid toward the top of the outer casing until the top of the inner wrapper is substantially flush with the upper edges of the opened outer casing.' The inner package must now be opened by lifting the upper flaps thereof and tearing the revenue stamp; access can then be had to the cigarettes within the package. The opening of a package of this known construction thus requires a rather large number of operations which are bothersome and irritating; so much so, that the smoker in his haste will frequently tear thevouter casing, thereby destroying the neatness fof the package and losing some of the advantages accruing from'the use of the outer casing. The present invention aims to accomplish all of the above operations with practically a single movement.

According to my invention an additional strip of material, preferably also of transparent, cellulosic material, connects the upper flap of the outer casing and the upper flap of the inner wrap-v (Cl. 22S-51) same time operating to lift the lower flap ofthe outer casing. Thus by a single movement access to the cigarettes is ai'iorded without the necessity of sliding the package to the top of the opened inner casing. The connecting strip may be made stronger than the body of the outer casing and thus serves to reinforce the upper ap of the latter; if desired, this strip may be col ored differently from the outer easing.

In the preferred form of my invention the connecting strip is furcated at one end, the furcations passing through perforation in the revenue stamp and being pasted to the bottom of such stamp. Y The remainder of the strip is then folded under and over the bottom flap of theouter casing, its free end being glued to the inner face of the upper iiap of such casing so that when the upper ap is moved upwardly the strip will raise the lower flap.

My invention will be better understood by ref 75 erence to the'accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In said drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective View of a package in the closed condition and constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the package in the open condition;

Fig. 4 shows the revenue stamp perforated for the purpose described herein below; and

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the connecting strip.

The cigarette package shown in Fig. 1 comprises the wrapper 10, which in the present ine stance may be referred to as the inner wrapper, the same being closed in the manner well known in the art with the aid of the revenue stamp 11 which' extends over the upper flap 12 of the wrapper and is pasted to such flap and to the front and rear faces of the wrapper. The inner wrapper is encased by a cover or casing 13 preferably made of transparent material, such as sheets of regenerated cellulose now commonly known as Cellophane. The upper portion of the casing 13 is folded down over the inner wrapper as indicated by the lower iiap 14 and upper flap 15. The iiap l5 is longer than the lower ap 14 and extends over the edge of the package to provide a pad 16 for engagement be- 105 tween the lingers, the iiap 15 being pasted down along portions of its inner surface except at the tab 16. i

In accordance with the present invention, the revenue stamp 11, before it is applied to the inner wrapper, is provided with a series of perforations 17 along a line that corresponds to the edge of the wrapper over which the stamp is bent, or to the free edge of the upper flap 12 of the inner wrapper. Through these perforations are threaded the forks of the furcated end of a connecting strip 18, the forks being indicated at 19. The forks are pasted to the underside of the stamp, after which the stamp is attached to the top of the inner wrapper. As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the strip 18 is folded freely over the top of the stamp 11, the bottom iiap 14 of the outer casing being pressed down over the strip. The latter is reversely bent at 20 to overlie freely the iiap 14, this upper portion of the strip being pasted to the inner face of the upper flap 15 of the casing 13.

To open the package, the tab 16 is engaged between the fingers and pulled upwardly and rearwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. During this movement the upper portion of the strip 18 is similarly moved and the portion of the strip immediately overlying the stamp is raised and carries with it the inner flap 14 of the outer casing. As the movement continues the strip 18 becomes taut and upon further movement the.stamp is torn along the perfora-- tions 17 and the upper flap 12 of the inner wrapper is lifted, the latter completing the raising of the nap 14 of the outer casing. The cigarettes 21 are now exposed, particularly as the inner flap 22 of the inner wrapper tends to rise when the upper flap 12 is lifted.

It will be clear from the above that both the outer casing and the inner wrapper are opened by a single lifting movement of the tab 16 and the stamp simultaneously broken. The perforations 17 facilitate the breaking of the stamp land are preferably made of increasing diameter from the center to the edges of the stamp.

It will be obvious that other ways of connecting the strip 18 with the stamp and with the flap 12 may be employed. For example, the stamp may be unperforated and the strip 18 may extend under the stamp from the side of such stamp; or the strip may be pasted to the underside of the flap 12 and the stamp may be pasted to the top of such strip obliquely; or the stamp may be slitted at the sides instead of being perforated and the strip 18 emerged through such slits. As indicated above, the strip 18 may be made stronger than the body of the casing 13 and it may be colored in any desired way. Other variations may be resorted to within the scope oi the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, the means for Vconnecting the outer casing to the inner wrapper may comprise a portion or band attached to the underside of the flap 12 of the inside Wrapper, the band extending beyond the sides of such ap and having a strip at an angle, say a right angle, to such band, said strip being either integral with or attached to one end of the band. After thev stamp has been applied the ends of the band and the strip are folded over the stamp in overlapping relation and sealed to each other, the strip being thus positioned substantially at the center 4of the package. The free portion of the strip is then reversely folded over the flap 14 and the free end of such strip attachedto the flap 15 in the mannerdescribed hereinabove.

The inner wrapper has been illustrated as being composed of only a single ply of material for the sake of simplicity, but it will be understood that such 'wrapper may be comprised oi' two or more layers, including a tin foil layer. It will be evident from the above that my invention avoids the tearing of the tin foil during the opening of the package and breaking of the stamp.

I claim:

1. A cigarette package comprising an inner Wrapper and an outer casing, the upper portions of such wrapper being folded down over the contents of the package in direct contact therewith and with each other to completely cover the same, and the upper portions of the casing being folded down over the Wrapper, and means connecting the folded-down portion of the casing with the separately folded-down portion of the wrapper in such a manner that upon pull on said means, both of said folded-down portions are unfolded to expose the contents of the package to view, said unfolded portions being capable of re-folding to close the package again.

2. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer casing, the upper portions of such wrapper being folded down over the contents of the package in direct contact therewith and with each other to completely cover the same, and the upper portions of the casing being folded down over the wrapper, a stamp attached directly to the wrapper, and means connecting the folded-down portion of the casing with the folded-down portion of the Wrapper in such a manner that upon pull on said means, both of said folded-down portions are unfolded to expose the contents of the package to view and said stamp is simultaneously broken, said unfolded portions being capable of re-folding to close the package again.

3. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer casing, the upper portions of such wrapper being folded down over the contents of the package in direct contact therewith 115 and with each other tocompletelycoverthe same, and the upper portions of the casing being folded down over the wrapper, the upper portions of said wrapper and said casing comprising each a .lower flap and an upper flap, and means connecting said upper flaps so that upon lifting the upper fiapof said casing, the upper ap of the Wrapper is simultaneously lifted.

4. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer casing, the upper portions of such wrapper being folded down over the conf tents of the package in direct contact therewith and with each other to completely cover the same, and the upper portions of the casing being folded down over the wrapper, the upper portions of said wrapper and said casing comprising eachv a lower flap and an upper flap, a stamp attached directly to the wrapper and overlying the upper flap of the wrapper, and means connecting said upper flaps so that upon lifting the upper flap of said casing, the upper flap of the wrapper is simultaneously lifted and the stamp broken.

5. A cigarette package as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means extends in part between the stamp and the upper flap of the wrapper.

6. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer casing, the upper portions of such wrapper and casing being folded down to form each a lower flap and an upper iiap, a stamp overlying the upper flap of the wrapper, and 14.5 means connecting said upper flaps so that upon lifting the upper ap of said casing, the upper flap of the wrapper is simultaneously lifted and the stamp broken, the stamp being perforated adjacent to the free edge of the upper flap of 150 the Wrapper, said connecting means comprising a strip of material furcated at one end the furcation passing through the perforations in the stamp and being attached to the underside of the stamp and to such last-mentioned upper flap.

'1. A cigarette package as set forth in claim 6, wherein the intermediate portion of the strip is reversely bent about the lower flap of the casing, so that as the strip is extended said lower ap is raised.

8,-A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper and an outer casing, the upper portions of such wrapper being folded down over the contents of the package, and the upper portions of the casing being folded down over the wrapper,

the upper portions of said wrapper and said casing comprising each a lower ap and an upper nap, and means attached to that flap of the inner wrapper which extends from the same side of the package as the upper flap of the outer casing and having a terminal portion associated with the upper ap of the outer casing in such a manner that upon lifting of the upper apvof the outer casing the upper portions of the wrapper are unfolded and expose the contents of the package to view,y the unfolded flaps of the wrapper and casing being capable of refolding to close the package again. f

RICHARD BLUM. 

